As they become more uneasy with the ongoing turmoil in the adjacent country, several international and domestic businesses that formerly sourced their clothing from Bangladesh are now turning to Indian producers to satisfy their demand.
Sources close to the Surat textile sector reported receiving requests from these brands for the manufacture and distribution of ready-to-wear clothing. They predict that the expansion of Surat’s garment industry, which currently grows at a pace of 12 per cent annually, might accelerate to 20–25 per cent if these result in orders. New orders might also help textile hubs in Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Noida, they said.
Bangladesh depends heavily on the fabric supplied by Surat, India’s textile hub, even though it is the world’s second-largest exporter of ready-made clothing, after China. Indian businesses consider the growing political upheaval, law and order problems, and agitation among Bangladesh’s textile sector workers as a chance to provide more value-added products to international markets, while major brands are searching for other sources.
Ashish Gujarati, a former president of the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce said that the garment sector in Surat has essentially been producing low-priced women’s wear, ethnic wear, kurtis and some denim and that there has been an increase in inquiries from large brands after the unrest in Bangladesh started which serves to majorly benefit the sector.
At the moment, Surat’s monthly revenue is roughly Rs. 600 crore. The cotton centres in Tiruppur and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Ludhiana in Punjab, and Noida in Uttar Pradesh are anticipated to benefit from the improvements in the bordering country, despite the fact that it primarily deals in man-made fibre, he said.
Bangladesh’s garment industry has already been under strain, and the nation has heard of worker unrest brought on by financial strain. The areas of Dhaka, Chittagong, Gazipur, Ashulia, Narayanganj, Khulna, Narsingdi, and Rajshahi are home to clusters in that nation. There has been significant disturbance in Dhaka and Chittagong, and there have also been reports of violence in other places.
